Liberty Training

Training a horse to go at liberty is becoming quite popular these days. It is fun, looks spectacular and provides a different way of working with your horse. But, try and look at it from the horse's point of view. Horses need and desire leadership. When training at liberty, there is a very delicate balance between what is leadership and what is not. In essence you must learn how to lead and not lead at the same time.

The liberty horse has to have a well developed thinking mind and be able to make decisions based on what you ask him to do, but at the same time the human has to lead and control the asking. We access a horse's mind by controlling his feet. How can we control his feet from a distance yet allow the horse to move freely? If it sounds confusing you you, imagine how it sounds to the horse? Proper liberty training is a tricky thing. Kate teaches liberty training with consideration for the horse. It is possible to just go out and arbitrarily start to "GET" your horse to do things at liberty. The horse, out of love and willingness to please may respond with what looks to be favorable. But have you considered that what you are doing may be no better than trick training or conditioned response? That is not true liberty training. Kate believes that kind of thing can be demeaning to the horse. He may as well be a trained parrot; a horse without a single original thought. There is a difference...a huge difference. Call 303-601-7797 or email Katelyn to learn proper liberty training.

Photo 1: It is difficult to teach the first manuever as it has to first be done in very close proximity to the horse

Photo2: Kate is teaching Fable to collect at liberty. A horse should be able to go in all gaits in collected posture before learning advanced movements.